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Further Workplace Health and Safety bosses will be grilled at the inquest into the Dreamworld disaster today, after a leading inspector admitted he had "no confidence" in the emergency procedures in place on the Thunder River Rapids ride.

Daughters learned of dad's death by SMS

The daughters of a mentally ill man shot by police on Christmas Day have cried as they recalled learning of his death from a text message.

Jane Cowie and Rebecca Collis were at home at Lisarow on the NSW central coast on December 25, 2009, when their father Ian Cowie was shot three times in the lounge room, after allegedly pointing a knife at an officer.

On day two of the inquest into the 46-year-old's death, Glebe Coroner's Court heard that although the daughters had been taken to Gosford police station after the shooting, no one had told them of his death.

Ms Cowie, who was 18 at the time, said she and her mother were at the police station when she received a text from her boyfriend informing her of media reports mentioning her father's death.

"So you found out by text?" Coroner Sharon Freund asked.

"Yes," Ms Cowie replied.

"No one told us that my dad had passed away. We found it on the internet," Ms Collis said.

"There was no one liaising with you about the welfare of your dad?" counsel assisting assisting the coroner Mark Higgins asked.

"No," she replied.

The inquest heard that the women had arrived at the family home at around 5pm on Christmas Day and were met by police, who told them complaints had been made about Mr Cowie throwing rocks into a neighbour's house.

Inside, their father, who had a history of mental illness including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, was distressed and pacing back and forth.

The inquest heard how Mr Cowie became increasingly agitated and angry, threatening to put a "10-inch knife" into police and telling them to get off his property .

Outside, Senior Constable Bradley Owen told Mrs Cowie, "It's okay, we are going to call for backup. We will take him to hospital."

When a third officer, Senior Constable Neil Prest, arrived, he had a baton in his hand, both daughters said.

They said he came to the front door holding the baton in his right hand and hitting his left hand with it.

The inquest heard that neither woman had mentioned the hitting motion in previous statements.

"After that, it all just got out of control," Ms Cowie said.

The inquest has heard that after using capsicum spray on Mr Cowie, the officers pursued him into the kitchen where he grabbed a carving knife and pointed it at Sen Const Prest, following the officer into the lounge room.

Fearing for his life, Sen Cons Prest shot him twice, with Sen Const Owen firing a third shot.